AboutRobert Expertise General questions about tourism/travel and life in Japan, including shopping, visa issues, culture-shock, finding accommodations and employment, proper cultural etiquette, and common problems ex-pats in Japan experience. Bachelors Degree in Japanese Culture and Masters Degree in Marketing.
I've never tried this website before. My college chorus is touring for 2 weeks in japan this spring, in toyko, kyoto, and kanegasaki.
I'm mostly wondering about the money issue. I've heard that it's a bad idea to bring traveler's checks. A few of my friends who've traveled in europe tell me to bring a debit/credit card and minimal cash while traveling, but other websites mention that travelers in japan should bring only cash b/c ATMs are hard to find and many places don't take credit cards.
Since we're only going for 2 weeks and most of my meals are paid for, the college recommends bringing $250-300 US with us for the trip. Is that too much money to carry around in yen?
Thanks for any help you can provide!
-Maryna
Answer Maryna,
What you've heard is all partly true but don't add
up together to be accurate. The more money you bring,
the more traveller's checks are a good idea -- for the
simple fact that if they are lost, they can be replaced
quickly. With cash, it's gone. The only drawback with
T/Cs in Japan is that is can take a while, like 10-20
minutes, or a bit more if it's a big city PO in the rush
of a business day.
If you only plan to bring $250-300 in cash,
then maybe T/Cs aren't critical. That is definitely
not too much to bring. If you plan on buying anything
in Japan at all, then I would recommend you bring
more, or at least have it ready in your bank account.
In Kyoto especially, if you go visit 10 temples and
shrines in a day, it is easy to get nickled and dimed
to death and not have enough money in the end. Public
transportation can also add up.
You can get a list of typical Japanese prices at
Price Check Tokyo at http://www.pricechecktokyo.com
You can also see what Japanese money looks like at http://www.geocities.com/ropponmatsu/japanfaq1b.html
Note that you can not use
1 or 5 yen coins in vending machines and phones.
What websites on Japan you've seen are giving you very
bad advice. You can use an ATM card if it's in the VISA Electron, Maestro Network, Plus or Cirrus networks (look
for the symbol on the back of the card) at any Japanese post office ATM. Credit cards in Japan are accepted in
department stores, large retail outlets, and places that
deal with a lot of tourists. If you go out to the sticks
then yes, credit cards are not much use to you. But Tokyo
and Kyoto are anything but that.
You can use a credit card at many different locations. For a Visa card go to http://visaatm.infonow.net/bin/findNowDEFAULT=DEFAULT&CLIENT_ID=VISA
and enter Japan to find what ATMs you can use. For Master Card and others with the Cirrus or Maestro mark try http://mastercard.com/cgi-bin/atm/atm_country.cgicountry=jpn
American Express might have some info too so you might look at their website.Assuming you find the machine you want, the pin number should work the same. Ask an attendent to help you if you need it. Note though that except in central Tokyo and a few other places, Japanese cash machines are not open 24 hours.
If you plan on going out somewhere nicer, it may be a
good idea to bring a nicer suit or dress and high-heels
with you. Unless you are very petite, you may find it
hard to get your size in Japan.
And if you get hopelessly lost, which is very easy in
Japan, it is better to find some older school or college
age students and *write out* your questions. Japanese
are still very poor at speaking English but are often
glad to help you out if you lose your way.
You can also find a Tokyo subway map at http://soli.inav.net/~ceicher/images/TokyoSubways.jpg
and other major city subway maps at http://www.reed.edu/~reyn/transport.html
Since you'll be down in Kyoto, there will be lots of
places to see - but make sure you take at least half a
day and see the Todaiji in Nara. It is one of the best
sites in Japan, and missing it would be like missing the
Taj Mahal in India.
Try and go to at least one hot spring (called onsen)
while you're there. They are all over the country.
See http://dmoz.org/Regional/Asia/Japan/Travel_and_Tourism/Hot_Springs
for more info and guides. They range from free
to very high at hot spring resort hotels.
For what to see in Tokyo depends on what you like.
A good photo collection at http://www.artisandevelopers.com/web/tokyo/
can give you many good ideas.
Akihabara (see http://www.akiba.or.jp/index_e.html) is
the Tokyo's electronics district and you can find block
after block of newfangled electronic goods. Love Hotel
Hill in Shibuya is a sight at night, kind of goofy,
also Harajuku to see the weird young people hang out,
Ginza is glitzy shopping, especially on Sunday, Roppongi
is where the ex-pat bars and hangouts are, etc.
There are also bus tours of the city, such as at http://www.hatobus.co.jp/english/
There are a few areas in Tokyo with free internet access
if you are interested. There is a free Yahoo cafe in
Akihabara (in Laox Digital, beside Manseibashi bridge,
among others), in Harajuku (above the Starbucks behind
the Oriental Bazaar), in Hibiya (opposite the Library in
Hibiya park), and at Narita airport; as well as a free
place next to the Tokyo International Forum building
there is the Marunouchi Cafe in the Fuji Building, at
Marunouchi 3-2-3 (Mon-Fri 8-8, Sat. 10-6).
Also from Shibuya subway stn, walk towards the Starbucks,
look to the left of it at the building just across the
small street, see the phone store, go into the elevator
and to the 3rd or 4th floor.. Free internet and no time limit.
There is also a ton of good info at http://dmoz.org/Regional/Asia/Japan/Travel_and_Tourism/
and http://dmoz.org/Regional/Asia/Japan/Prefectures/Kyoto
and reading up on Japanese etiquette at http://japaninfo.esmartweb.com/FAQ-Manners.html
would be a very good idea.
For food, you didn't give any preferences, but you will
find most anything. See http://www.bento.com/ for a good
listing of restaurants, as well as maybe looking in some
ex-pat magazines like Tokyo Journal there.
Jet lag may be a problem, depending on you, the flight time
and arrival, whether you can sleep on the plane, etc. For
me, I leave L.A. in the afternoon, arrive the next day in
the evening, crawl into bed and wake the next day feeling
fine. Everyone is a bit different though. But Tokyo is a
24 hour city that never sleeps.
If you don't have one yet, I recommend you get a good
digital camera for your trip, since you can take lots
of photos, e-mail them to friends (even while in Japan)
and will be a treasure for you to remember your trip in
the years ahead.
